Production printing systems generally comprise a number of high-speed printers used for volume printing, which may be capable of printing many thousands of pages per minute or more. Production printing systems are typically continuous-form printers that print on paper or some other printable medium that is stored on large rolls. An Automated Document Factory (ADF) system provides functionality that enhances the performance of production printing systems by providing a large scale production environment for printing. Because of this enhanced functionality, ADF systems are preferred for numerous high-volume printing applications including mass-mail printing of time sensitive statements and bills.
Typically, a host system (e.g., a printing application of a client) produces print jobs for submission to an ADF system. A print job submitted to an ADF system may include a plurality of documents. For example, a client may utilize an ADF system to print hundreds of thousands of bills included in a single print job. The documents of each print job are often intended for delivery by mail or private carrier. Therefore, the ADF system performs a number of services for the client that transcend the mere printing of print jobs submitted to the ADF system by the client, such as document post processing (e.g., stapling, inserting, folding, mailing, etc.).
In many cases, a client may be operating a number of print applications for submission to the ADF system on behalf of other parties. For example, the client may be operating a credit card billing application for a credit card company, a bank statement application for a bank, etc. Often, various reporting requirements exist for the third parties of the client to ensure that certain jobs are printed and delivered to customers in a timely manner. For example, credit card statements may be required to be printed and mailed to customers within a certain period of time during the card billing cycle. When a client is operating a number of print applications that fall under these and other types of reporting requirements, it becomes important to ensure that the print jobs generated by the client for the ADF system are accurately received by the ADF system.